From Airwaves to Algorithms: How Streaming Is Reshaping the Future of Media Buying

For decades, television and radio dominated advertising strategies, offering brands a wide reach but limited insights. Today, the rise of streaming platforms has fundamentally shifted the media buying landscape, creating new opportunities and challenges for brands looking to engage with consumers in a more fragmented, personalized world.

With 85 percent of U.S. households now subscribed to at least one streaming service, according to Statista, it's no surprise that brands are rethinking their approach to media buying. Traditional media strategies centered on prime-time TV or drive-time radio spots are no longer the default approach. Consumers are not bound to rigid viewing schedules or standardized programming; they’re curating their own entertainment experiences across dozens of platforms, both paid and free. For brands, this represents both a challenge in scale and an opportunity in precision.

Precision in Streaming

Unlike traditional media, streaming offers advanced tracking capabilities that empower brands to go beyond basic impressions. With the ability to connect ad exposure directly to conversions, advertisers can now quantify their return on investment (ROI) with a clarity that was once out of reach.

Streaming has quickly become an essential tool in the marketer's toolbox, making it possible to identify the target audience with greater precision than ever before. Brands can buy directly or programmatically, leveraging data to target specific demographics, behaviors, or even purchase intent. This kind of granularity simply isn’t possible with linear TV or radio.

Creative Innovation for Digital Engagement

While the shift to streaming enables better targeting, it also requires a creative overhaul. Traditional TV ads often fall flat when repurposed for digital platforms. Today’s audiences expect interactive, engaging experiences that align with their on-demand viewing expectations.

Where many brands fall behind is in assuming they can simply repurpose their 30-second TV spots. In a streaming environment, the creative needs to be more dynamic. Interactive elements such as QR codes, overlays, or even choose-your-own-adventure formats not only enhance engagement but also allow for real-time performance tracking and optimization. These interactive ads on streaming platforms have been shown to boost brand recall by up to 36 percent, according to a study by BrightLine, highlighting their effectiveness in engaging audiences. However, they require greater investment and strategic planning, making the role of agency partners even more critical in helping brands navigate this terrain.

Fragmentation and Fraud

Despite its advantages, streaming isn't without its complications. The growing number of platforms has led to new levels of fragmentation, making it harder for brands to achieve the scale they once enjoyed through a handful of national networks. Costs are also rising. Premium placements on popular platforms like Hulu often sell out quickly and come at a high price. Meanwhile, concerns about fraud and transparency in programmatic buys have many marketers cautious about where and how their budgets are spent. It's important to be careful and ensure you’re getting what you paid for. Just because a platform promises targeting doesn’t mean it always delivers in expected ways.

Rather than choosing between traditional and streaming media, the most successful brands are embracing a hybrid approach. By integrating both, they can maintain broad reach while also taking advantage of the targeting and tracking capabilities of streaming. The balance depends on the brand and the audience.

The Path Forward

As streaming continues to evolve and new technologies like AI reshape how media is bought, measured, and optimized, brands must stay agile. But that doesn’t mean they have to navigate this shift alone. By partnering with a trusted expert who understands the streaming landscape, brands gain not only creative expertise but also strategic guidance to maximize their investment, make more informed decisions, drive better results, and ensure their marketing efforts are as effective and impactful as possible. In a world of constant change, it is this kind of support that can help brands stand out and thrive in the streaming era.

Cindy Bruemmer is a seasoned media executive with more than two decades of agency-side experience, currently serving as senior vice president of media at Tandem Theory. Bruemmer blends a data-driven approach with media expertise that has delivered impactful, insight-led campaigns for brands such as Rent-A-Center, Daikin, Pepsi, Domino’s, and T-Mobile.